Yangzhou City, deep within the dungeon of the City Lord’s Mansion.
In the dimly lit cell, the zombie that had just broken free from its chains due to the trembling Earth Meridian Fiendish Qi was restlessly prowling around, turning in circles.
Its blood-red eyes scanned the empty room before it, filled with confusion.
Following the zombie, Gu Qingying tilted her head in puzzlement, clearly not understanding how the fresh Blood Food that had been provoking the zombie right in front of her vanished in the blink of an eye.
“Roar?!”
The White-Robed Zombie let out a low, confused growl, its sharp claws scraping harshly against the black iron walls, producing an ear-piercing screech.
What the zombie didn’t know was that less than a yard away in the shadowed corner, Gu Qingying was pressed tightly against the cold wall, her breathing nearly halted.
The moment the zombie broke its chains and was about to lunge at her, Gu Qingying hurriedly activated her Cognition Modification System at full power, erasing herself completely from the zombie’s sight and perception.
Now, twisted and distorted in the zombie’s senses, she was like an invisible presence to the White-Robed Zombie.
Yet, even so, her heart was pounding with tension because her cognition modification was not omnipotent.
Faced with a creature like the White-Robed Zombie, a mindless beast acting almost purely on instinct, even the slightest sound or irregularity could alert it to the abnormality in the surrounding space and expose her.
After all, zombies don’t comfort themselves with illusions.
No matter what strange things happen, their instinct is always to smash first and ask questions later!
“Phew… be careful! Be careful!”
“Ah! Move slowly… inch forward…”
Gu Qingying silently urged herself, her toes cautiously brushing the ground as she inched bit by bit toward the open iron door.
Her gaze locked firmly on the relatively safe patch of light at the doorway, her mind screaming desperately.
“That spot! That spot! If I can just reach there…”
“I’ll be able to… get out of here!”
Clearly, escaping was the most rational choice for Gu Qingying at the moment.
After all, this zombie had just completed its transformation.
Its aura was steady at around the ninth level of Qi Refining, two full cultivation stages above Gu Qingying’s own.
Moreover, this was an Iron Armor Zombie—its flesh, skin, and bones as hard as iron, impervious to blades and spears.
Though Gu Qingying had combat experience from her past life, her current cultivation was only at the seventh level of Qi Refining.
To fight this creature head-on would be a grueling battle, possibly even a fatal mistake.
Even if she won, it would be a costly victory, draining her resources and cultivation materials.
It simply wasn’t worth it.
Though Gu Qingying was bold, she was not foolish.
Against this iron behemoth, she wasn’t about to recklessly clash swords.
So step by step, she moved closer and closer to the door.
She could even faintly sense the fresher, freer air in the corridor beyond.
But just as her fingers were about to brush the edge of the doorframe, the cell’s atmosphere suddenly shifted!
The pattern of the sinister formation etched into the floor abruptly flared with an even more dazzling purple light!
The entire cell seemed to transform into a colossal furnace.
Massive amounts of Earth Meridian Fiendish Qi were forcibly extracted, converted through the altar, and transformed into overwhelming black corpse energy, which surged toward the zombie at the core!
“Rumble—”
With the continuous infusion from the formation, the zombie’s body emitted a low, deep hum as the corpse energy around it surged wildly, visibly expanding!
Its claws grew darker and sharper, its bluish-gray skin glimmered faintly with a silver sheen, and the terrifying pressure it radiated soared.
It actually touched the threshold of early Foundation Establishment, reaching the Half-Step Foundation stage!
“Tsk… no good! This formation is actually strengthening the monster!”
Gu Qingying’s heart sank: if it managed to break through to Foundation Establishment and become an Unbreakable Bone Zombie, even her Master would have a hard time dealing with it.
“Shh… if it breaks out of the dungeon and teams up with that Zhao Zongchang guy outside…”
Thinking of her Master struggling in midair, Gu Qingying’s urge to flee just moments ago was suddenly shaken.
Letting this monster evolve would lead to disastrous consequences!
“Hmph! No! I can’t let it succeed!”
In an instant, Gu Qingying’s mind made the most rational decision she could: fleeing might save herself the most, but only fighting could prevent a greater catastrophe.
With that realization, her eyes sharpened.
She no longer looked toward the door but decisively turned her gaze to the ominously glowing runes on the ground.
Destroying the formation nodes to sever the energy supply was the quickest and most reliable way to stop the zombie’s evolution!
Silently, she changed course, moving like a nimble cat toward the nearest node.
The Spirit Thread Sword quietly appeared in her hand, its tip gathering a chilling gleam.
Then Gu Qingying struck hard, instantly shredding that node with her sword qi.
As the node was severed, the corpse energy conversion slowed, and the zombie’s advancement began to stall.
Just as she was about to press the advantage and destroy the next node ahead, the zombie, which had been greedily absorbing corpse energy, suddenly turned its head.
Its hollow, blood-red eyes still didn’t see Gu Qingying but accurately locked onto the direction of her position!
Its instincts told it that something was destroying its prize!
“Hoo… roar!!!”
The White-Robed Zombie’s furious, bloodthirsty roar shook the entire cell!
Frustrated at the interruption in its evolution, it had gone completely mad!
Guided by its vague sense of energy fluctuations, the enraged zombie charged like a runaway war chariot straight toward Gu Qingying!
“Damn… I’ve been spotted!”
Gu Qingying cursed silently, no longer able to remain stealthy.
She flicked her wrist, and the Spirit Thread Sword slashed out a fierce purple streak—not toward the formation this time, but straight at the zombie’s claws!
“Clang!”
Sparks flew in the dark dungeon as sword and claw clashed, producing a sharp metallic ringing!
The immense force surged through the sword, making Gu Qingying’s entire arm tingle as she staggered backward.
Realizing she was no match for a brute force battle against the zombie, Gu Qingying quickly shifted tactics.
She deactivated the Cognition Modification System, choosing to use herself as bait to mock and lure the zombie’s attention.
After all, her primary mission now was to destroy the formation nodes within the cell to prevent the zombie’s Foundation Establishment breakthrough—not to slay the zombie itself!
With that in mind, Gu Qingying’s next move was simple.
She just needed to bait the zombie, making it destroy all the formation nodes in the room itself, cutting off its path to advancement!
Understanding this, a sly smirk curled at the corners of Gu Qingying’s rose-colored lips.
Like a mischievous little devil, she stuck her tongue out at the zombie mockingly.
“Hey! Big dummy! I’m right here!”
She spoke while tapping the nearby walls with her spirit sword, trying to attract the zombie’s attention.
Sure enough, the zombie took the bait, roaring as it lunged toward Gu Qingying.
With a sidestep, Gu Qingying evaded, and the mindless zombie smashed headfirst into another formation node!